Simulation On Education: Improving Education System By Using Simulation Based Applications

Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of traditional instruction based education towards understanding the concepts of science versus simulation based education using simulation based desktop and mobile applications. It also examines how to improve education system using more sophisticated way with simulation based classroom tools and personal handheld devices like smartphones [1]. Qualitative and quantitative methods of research were made in this study. The participants of this study were students from Ideal Institute of Science and Technology. A set of questions were provided to them which evaluates their understanding towards physics.

Keywords: modern education, simulation, motion graphics, animation, smartphone, instruction based education

Introduction

Simulation and motion graphics are useful tools to present a model of a system without physically involving the system. Such features allow us to better understand the system and analyze it without actually interacting to it. Some real world process may take long period of time to happen by comparison of the average human life, thus make them hard to observe and thus hard to understand. For example the Halley’s Comet shows up in a time period of 76 years thus make it near impossible to observe in real life. Another example would be the collision of the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxy which will happen around 2. 5 million years from now. It’s impossible to know what will happen in that time and in aftermath as it will happen long time in future.

Simulation gives us the ability to fast forward and rewind backward in time and analyze the real world process which happened earlier or will happen far future. But the most important thing is, it enables us to change the parameters of the process and observe it with the changed parameters. We believe the effects of change of parameters of the process makes us able to better understand the process or system as they show us the role of the different parameters of the process. Whereas motion graphics enables us to visually observe the simulated system or process. We believe simulation and motion graphics can be a great tool to improve our education system.

Literature Review

One study suggests that computer simulation can help students to better understand the basics of probability [2]. In this study they use two group of teachers. First group participating in the statistical probability lessons and second group TinkerPlot dynamic software was used by adding simulation-based learning approach. The obtained findings showed that the simulation-based probability teaching improved the prospective teachers’ skills to make predictions and inference based on these predictions, and positively affected their success in general. Simulation based education is being used on some sector like Medical and Aviation technology. The project called PhET from the University of Colorado which is an advanced simulation based learning system. This project focuses on to provide simulations for various scientific and engineering department like physics, chemistry, computer science, electrical and electronics. Another study examines the effect of computer simulation on the fields of anatomy and morphology [3]. This study reviewed empirical and theoretical/speculative papers on simulations in science education. Computer simulated instruction gives students the opportunity to observe a "real" world experience and interact with it.

The purpose of this study was twofold:

1. to examine the effectiveness of a computer simulation model of frog dissection in improving students' actual dissection performance and learning of frog anatomy and morphology and
2. to determine whether the effectiveness of the simulation in improving student actual dissection performance and learning of anatomy and morphology is dependent upon the sequence in which simulation is presented. The finding of this study supported the theory that the effectiveness of simulations is dependent upon the sequence of presentation of learning activities to students. A study was made to examine if simulation-based medical learning with deliberate practice yields better results than traditional clinical education or not [4].

The results show that simulation based medical education with deliberate practice is better than the traditional medical education. Another medical study examines the effects of simulation technology for skills training and competency assessment [5]. They concluded that medical simulation is becoming increasingly popular among the tools for teaching and assessment. Also simulation can improve training without impacting patient safety. A study was made to examine the effects of a computer simulation to students’ learning physics concepts [6]. The study was conducted by the using the software Modellus. It is used to create simulations used to teach 7th grade students the concepts of weight and mass. The study concluded that findings favored simulation based teaching as the result showed computer simulation helps the students to learn physics concepts regardless of hands on activities.

Method

This is an analysis which is done by teaching approach using both sample simulation based application and traditional instruction based teaching. Main outcome measures were the effectiveness of both strategies by evaluating the understanding of the basics of physics of the participants.

Survey

We have conducted a survey involving 144 students from different skill levels from Ideal Institute of Science and Technology, Mirpur, Dhaka, Bangladesh. First we taught them three elementary physics topics: the Newton’s Law of motion, Newton’s Law of Gravity and The Laws of Falling bodies with one group consisting randomly selected 72 students by the traditional instruction based system and another group consisting other 72 students by the simulation based system. We then evaluated them by asking a set of 9 questions (3 questions on each topic). The result showed the effectiveness metrics. Then we asked them if they think whether or not simulation based education is necessary. Then asked them to provide a rating of necessity.

Results

The survey result shows us that overall simulation based education outlasts traditional instruction based education although effectiveness varies slightly. [image: ]Fig 1: Effectiveness metricsStudents involving simulation based education with our sample simulation application scored in average 7. 17 as opposed to 6. 08 of students involving in traditional instruction based education out of 9. The higher is better.

Also the standard deviation and variance was slightly better for simulation based education as opposed to traditional instruction based education having standard deviation 1. 20 and 1. 25, variance 1. 45 and 1. 56 respectively. Lower is better.

Proposed Model

As the survey results suggests, simulation based education is more effective than traditional instruction based education system. We are proposing an efficient model to implement simulation based tools besides traditional instruction based education both in classroom and in personal study. Our model involves deploying simulation based desktop and handheld applications. Some of them exists in some extent in some fields of education like CISCO Packet Tracer in Computer Networking. Stellarium is another simulation based astronomy application which simulates the sky in real time. We can use similar applications in other fields of education, especially in scientific education. We can also provide simulation based learning smartphone applications to the students.

Conclusions

Although the sample simulation based application by which the survey is completed by far less sophisticated, we found that simulation can be a very good tool for education. In various department simulation is used to train the students for real life situation like for pilot training and also in health training. This is the most effective and efficient way to represent a problem to train the students for a better solution. Our study concludes that simulation based education is more effective than traditional instruction based education.

Future Work

A standalone simulation based learning device for students can be developed. Which can make them able to better understand the lessons in an effective way. Also a more sophisticated and efficient way to implement simulation based tools in classroom can be developed.